1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to ready to use/self contained devices for holding single use cameras or articles of a suitable kind on clothing such as belts, pant or skirt waistbands, pant pockets, etc. where the article is a separate entity from the invention.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art holding devices for small articles on clothing suffer from the disadvantage that they cannot be immediately used on single use cameras or articles of a suitable kind that are a separate entity from the invention because they require the article to have some sort of built on modification that would allow it to work with the device or require an adhesive separate from the invention for attaching a fastener onto an article before attachment to the device. In addition, the fastening mechanisms for many of these inventions do not hold well in physically demanding situations.
Single use cameras have not teen used with carrying devices from the prior art. All of the prior art devices either cannot carry a single use camera effectively in the actual conditions where cameras are used or would involve mechanisms that are inconvenient and/or unattractive for single use camera users to use.
Photographic film manufacturers projected selling over 50 million single use cameras in 1995. Single use cameras are used by consumers to provide an economical alternative for occassions where other cameras are not preferred or available.
Originally, single use cameras did not have carrying features which made convenience difficult. Consumers developed their own ways to transport and hold single use cameras. One method was carrying single use cameras in pockets of clothing, especially in pants pockets for men. However, this method has at least five disadvantages:
(a) If one places a single use camera in a pocket, there is often a buldge which is unsightly and uncomfortable, especially when one is seated. PA1 (b) It takes pocket space away from other items consumers want in their pockets. PA1 (c) Dirt from other items in the pocket can get on the lens, especially from items like facial tissue. PA1 (d) It adds weight to pants pockets causing greater wear on clothing, especially sagging and potential for holes in pockets. PA1 (e) The single use cameras are not always readily accessible for quick unexpected photo opportunities because of the difficulty in removing them from pockets, especially if pockets are small and contain other items. PA1 (a) The cameras are not always available for photo opportuntities, especially if the person isn't near the bag. PA1 (b) The cameras can be hard to find in bags that are filled completely with other larger items. PA1 (a) to provide a personal carrying device which is attractive, fashionable, and can be worn appropriately at almost any social occasion; PA1 (b)to provide a personal carrying device which is reliable and where a single use camera will rarely fall off and get lost; PA1 (c)to provide a personal carrying device which is small in size and lightweight; PA1 (d)to provide a personal carrying device which is economical relative to the price of single use cameras; PA1 (e) to provide a personal carrying device which is designed for one time use with single use cameras, but can be reused with replacement or reusable parts; PA1 (f) to provide a personal carrying device which is designed for carrying a single use camera conveniently without discomfort; PA1 (g) to provide a personal carrying device which does not take space away from carrying other items consumers want in their pockets; PA1 (h) to provide a personal carrying device which does not expose dirt to the lens of a single use camera as can occur if carried in pockets of clothing or in ancillary carrying products; PA1 (i) to provide a personal carrying device which does not add wear or tear to clothing; PA1 (j) to provide a personal carrying device which makes single use cameras readily accessible for quick unexpected photo opportunities; PA1 k) to provide a personal carrying device which is a permanent repository or home location for a single use camera in transport so that the chances for misplacement is reduced; PA1 (l) to provide a personal carrying device which does not get in the way of camera operation; PA1 (m) to provide a personal carrying device which does not get in the way of other activities and can be used while swimming or snorkeling; PA1 (n) to provide a personal carrying device which does not restrict hand movement; PA1 (o) to provide a personal carrying device which does not strain part of the human body, especially the wrist or hand; PA1 (p) to provide a personal carrying device which can be compared to other consumer accepted products; PA1 (q) to provide a personal carrying device which can be attached to single use cameras by manufacturers, thereby becoming part of the camera and offered to consumers as added value; PA1 (r) to provide a personal carrying device which can be provided to consumers as a free standing product; PA1 (s) to provide a personal carrying device which emits a sound when a single use camera is detached in order for a consumer to know when it is being released; PA1 (t) to provide a personal carrying device which doesn't require any items beyond everyday clothing for its use; PA1 (u) to provide a personal carrying device which is easy to use; PA1 (v) to provide a personal carrying device which is durable; PA1 (w) to provide a personal carrying device which is easy to produce; PA1 (x) to provide a personal carrying device which is reliable because it is worn and not carried; PA1 (y) to provide a personal carrying device which provides an overall higher quality result than current carrying devices; and PA1 (z) to provide a personal carrying device which is stronger and can hold more weight more comfortably than current methods.
A second method is carrying single use cameras in ancillary carrying products such as a daypack, fannypack, or handbag. In addition to the space, dirt, weight, and quick access drawbacks listed for the pocket method, this method has the following two disadvantages:
A third method is carrying the single use cameras in one's hand. Yet, this has the major liability of limiting one's hand movements.
Manufacturers are making two modifications that partially address the transport of single use cameras; however, these still have significant problems. The first modification is a reduction in size. Although this will make carrying single use cameras easier in pockets, the disadvantages of pocket transport will perhaps remain the same, only to a lesser degree.
The second modification is a wrist strap that is attached to an eye or lug on a corner of the single use camera. Although wrist straps are well recognized and inexpensive carrying devices, they are clumsy and a nuisance because they restrict hand mobility, strain the wrist, and dangle if left unheld. Furthermore, wrist straps can easily slip off a wrist if not cinched tightly or if the camera is not held, resulting in loss of the camera and its irreplacable photos.
Currently, no products are sold separately to hold single use cameras on one's clothing except the current invention. The current invention has also been the point of difference of a new product for runners, namely a combination of the current invention and a single use camera which is bundled and positioned for marathoners. Although a small number of runners actually take cameras with them on marathons, the general population and the majority of runners do not associate taking photos during a 26.2 mile run. The ready to use capability of the current invention, in conjunction with its durability and nonintrusiveness, is changing this behavior.
Inventors have created several ways to hold articles to objects. U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,658 discloses a strap type system that holds articles to an object, but this system can be tedious to use with small articles. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,014,892 and 5,251,800 disclose a camera belt clip with support plates and slots and a camera holder, respectively, but these inventions can be too complex and expensive for small or low value articles. U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,448 discloses a multifunction camera bag with waist belt support which is too cumbersome for carrying a small article. U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,806 discloses a camera lens cap holder which has a panel member connecting the camera and camera strap with a fabric fastener attached to the panel and a second fabric fastener attached to the lens cap; however, it can be annoying to carry an additional item on a camera strap. No patent notice exists on a universal belt clip marketed by Radio Shack which fixes an article permanently onto a belt clip.
Inventors have also developed ways to hold articles using fabric fasteners in unrelated fields; unfortunately, these inventions would not hold a single use camera or an article of a suitable kind on clothing adequately. U.S. Pat. No. 5,221,031 discloses a body mounted cutting apparatus comprised of a band able to encircle a body limb and a cutting tool. The '031 device is not made to be attached to clothing. This invention requires a fabric hook and loop fastener to be already adhesively fixed or applied separately onto the the cutter's sheath which does not make this invention ready to use for other sheaths or cutting tools that don't come with the invention, thereby severely limiting its application. Articles that don't have an existing fastener won't work with this invention because they would need a fastener and some sort of part to adhere the fastener to the sheath.
In addition, the elongated fabric band limits the invention's applicability because wearing an arm band as part of a person's normal dress is not socially appropriate or comfortable at many of the kinds of occasions where single use cameras or articles of a suitable kind are commonly used, such as business events, weddings, etc. Wearing a single use camera or an article of a suitable kind like this could also create muscle problems like carpel tunnel disease because it may not be ergonomically correct to carry items bigger and heavier than a cutter. Other disadvantages include the requirement for a housing to hold the article to the band, the requirement to slide the article from the housing for use, and the requirement that access be made from the user's opposing hand versus from the hand on the same side that the article is worn which is preferable, but impossible with this invention. Another disadvantage is that the fastening material which is specifically cited, namely fabric hook and loop, does not function satisfactorily in situations where single use cameras or articles of a suitable kind are taken into more physically demanding conditions such as where the article is continuously rubbed against as in riding a bicycle or is under water as in snorkeling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,366 is a removable towel which may be quickly and easily attached to and removed from the users person. U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,316 is a method and apparatus for providing quick release retention for work pieces such as a tape measure. U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,770 is a holder for conventional billiard or pool cue chalk including a clip that is selectively attachable and complementary first and second hook and loop fastening elements.
All of these inventions cannot hold a single use camera or an article of similar size and weight satisfactorily because either the camera or article would fall off or, for U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,403,366 and 4,690,316, the securing mechanism base and the fastener thereon are not long enough to hold a single use camera or an article of similar size and weight, especially during strenuous activities. In addition, the base in U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,366 has a slight inward slope on its fastener side that would lessen the grip between a firm article like a camera and the clip versus a flexible article like a towel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,770 has a downward/inner slope on its fastener side that cannot hold an article like a single use camera effectively because the fasteners would not be tightly aligned, and the hook and loop fastener on its base is not long enough to hold an article like a single use camera. The base in U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,316 has a guard structure that makes it more difficult to reattach a camera'during physical activity because it needs to be exactly fitted into position which can distract the user's concentration from the physical activity and be an inconvenience. U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,366 also requires a preexisting fastener on the towel and specifies a fastening material made from fabric hook and loop which limits the invention's applications to only the range of situations where the fabric hook and loop would hold. U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,770 specifies Velcro hook and loop fastners which limits its applications to the range of situations where Velcro hook and loop fastners would hold, too. U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,316 requires a preexisiting fastener on the workpiece and doesn't specify how the fastener is attached to it which suggests that a separate adhesive is needed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,770 requires a preexisting fastener to come with the pool cue chalk that is on an elastic band that surrounds and stays on the pool cue chalk by both ends attaching to each other.
None of the fasteners in these inventions make the invention ready to use for articles that do not come with the invention because the fasteners are preattached on the towel, on the workpiece, and on the specially designed elastic band for a pool cue chalk, respectively, which severely limits the inventions'applications to other articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,371 is a golfer's aid having a body in the shape of a clip which can be attached to clothing, a golf bag, or other article. Hook and loop fabric is attached in a nonspecified way to the outer surface of the body for attaching the users glove or ball markers that have prefixed fasteners on them. Besides having the disadvantages of requiring that attached articles have prefixed fasteners on them, the specificity that it be hook and loop fabric limits its use in physically demanding situations other than what it was designed for, namely golfing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,830 relates to scorecard holders, specifically to such holders as used in the game of golf. This invention is intended for hanging on a golf bag and not worn on clothing. In addition, fastening material for articles such as pencils and golf tees are custom made for such items where those items slide in and out of their holder which would not work well with a single use camera or an article of suitable kind. A disadvantage of both inventions is that the securing mechanism base has an inward turn toward the wearer on its nonfastener side that could scratch against users wearing thin, lightweight clothing like, for example, running clothes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,533,656 relates to a wallet device which can be removably mounted to clothing, and particularly, to wallet devices which have a removable clip. The '656 device has fasteners that are not on a securing mechanism base holding an article but are instead used to open and close a compartment on the invention.
No securing mechanism base with fasteners for holding an article exists in the '656 invention, which is not designed and cannot hold a single use camera or an article of suitable kind except for an awkward placement in the compartment of the invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,502 is a system that relates to a plurality of handles attached to opposed side of a container, for the convenient lifting and transportation of the container. The securing mechanism base of this invention is not wearable and, therefore, makes it impossible to to carry a single use camera or an article of suitable kind on one's clothing.
Manufacturers and the prior art have not found a method for carrying single use cameras or articles of suitable kind that relieves the disadvantages cited. First, none of the inventors in the prior art for devices holding articles on clothing, who are skilled in the art, anticipated or suggested using fasteners with adhesive on their backs that can be used immediately upon removal of a protective liner even though these kind of fasteners have been available for approximately twenty years. Neither did these inventors realize the advantages of immediate use, broader applicability, and greater convenience that would result by incorporating the adhesive, liner, and fastener as one part on a complementary fastener attached to a securing mechanism base. In addition, none of the same inventors anticipated or suggested using industrial fasteners like DUAL LOCK which increase the strength of holding devices and, thereby, increase the range of situations in which it can be used.
Most of the inventors specifically cite a cloth material for their fasteners. In addition, the use of DUAL LOCK in water appears to be an unintended application for the fastening material since no prior mention of underwater properties has been discovered. Second, none of the prior art inventions are broad enough in their physical characteristics that they could be used in applications where the current invention has been applied. For example, they cannot work underwater or in physical situations where the article is rubbed against because the article would fall off with regular Velcro.RTM. fasteners. In addition, they would not be preferred in situations such as marathons because they are not ready to use.
Third, none of the prior art inventions mention using different kinds of adhesives for articles with different kinds of surfaces which significantly effects results. Unfortunately, the mention of only an "adhesive" does not make the prior art inventions operable in many circumstances. For example, the underwater carrying device uses fasteners with different adhesive backings for the securing mechanism base and the underwater camera because of the different composition of their surfaces and how those surfaces relate to adhesives underwater.
A better solution is needed because it would allow more people to take advantage of single use cameras and other articles of suitable kind since they would be more convenient to use and can be used in broader applications.